33 - South Dakota - Post-marathon

The morning after the marathon, I decided to take it easy and see the sights in South Dakota; I drove to the Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City and looked into renting a motorcycle.  The weather forecast was perfect for a motorcycle excursion.  So I did it— I rented a Ember Red Sunglo Dyna Switchback and hit the open road.  

The Badlands were a bit out of the way, but they had to be seen.  So I blasted out of Rapid City on Interstate 90.  Riding the motorcycle on the interstate wasn't much fun, but there was a lot of sights to be seen and it was the quickest way to the Badlands, my first stop.  

Along the interstate, there were tons of billboards for Wall Drug, which is located in Wall, South Dakota. Wall turned out to also be a good place to exit the interstate since an entrance to the Badlands National Park was just outside the city limits.  I expected Wall Drug to be a small town drug store with a luncheonette.  Not the case, Wall Drug is a tourist metropolis occupying most of downtown Wall. It was a bit overwhelming but still a must see if you ever happen to be in Wall, SD! 

From Wall, I headed into Badlands National Park and rode along the Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway. This approximately 30-mile drive on SD 240 cuts through the middle of breathtaking formations of Badlands National Park.  It follows the "natural contours of the Badlands escarpment, weaving  in and out of the native grasslands."  Scenic overlooks, with names like Seabed Jungle, Pinnacles, and Prairie Wind, all offered amazing vistas. 

Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse were next up, but I had to go back through Rapid City to get there.  I found a less crowded, smaller 2-lane state road to take me back to Rapid City.  Fortunately I stopped for gas just before I left for  Rapid City because there was NOTHING along this road.  It was a nice crusin' rode but no where to stop for anything.  

Actually, there was one sight to see (picture of dinosaur on the right). I have NO idea what it was doing in the middle of nowhere.


 



Crazy Horse Memorial was my next brief stop.  The Crazy Horse Memorial is only half finished.  They say it will take another 50 years to complete.

Below, on the left is what has been completed as of June 4, 2012 (not much!).  On the right is a model of what the completed Memorial will look like.

Monday, June 4, 2012

There was still a few more hours of light, so I took the "scenic" round-about-way to Mount Rushmore, more Scenic Byways—Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway and the Wildlife Loop Sate Scenic Byway.  

Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway
This 70-mile drive offers breathtaking views of some of the Black Hills' most stunning scenery. The popular Needles Highway (SD Highway 87) and Iron Mountain Road (US Highway 16A) are both part of the byway. Needles Highway features tunnels, hairpin curves and slender granite pinnacles.
Three granite tunnels on Iron Mountain Road perfectly frame the faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the distance. Also on the route are three pigtail bridges, built in the 1930s, which have a corkscrew shape.

Byway Wildlife Loop State Scenic Byway  
The Wildlife Loop Road (SD Highways 87 and 16A) in Custer State Park is pure nature at its best. There are open grasslands and rolling hills speckled with pine. Many of the park's wildlife species occupy this area and are commonly seen. They include bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, deer, elk, coyote, prairie dog and numerous birds. Also, some of the park's wild "begging" burros live at the southernmost end of this road. This 18-mile route follows the diverse landscape offering views of mountain foothills, prairie meadows and lush stream beds. The park is home to one of the world's largest publicly-owned bison herds.

The ride was absolutely AMAZING!  Finished in Keystone just as it was getting dark and got a room there.

Next morning my plan was to go see Mount Rushmore. But it was yet another gorgeous day for riding, so I did a "drive-by" of Mount Rushmore and rode the scenic byways again before I had to return the motorcycle to Rapid City.




Am I ever glad I did!  As I was driving part of the Wildlife Loop,  I came upon a bison on the side of the road.




Further along, there was a burro smack dab in the middle of the road.  I'm not familiar with burros, so I wasn't even sure what it was.  I yelled at it, honked at it, flashed the high beams, but it was not budging.  Finally I took my chances and slowly went around it.
No reaction whatsoever.

It was getting close to the time that I had to return the motorcycle, so I had to change pace and high tail it back to the Harley dealership.  I returned the motorcycle, got back in the rental car, stopped in Rapid City for lunch, AND then went back to Mount Rushmore.

I spent the afternoon there taking in the beauty and symbolism of the four presidents.  I then had dinner in Keystone and decided to spend the night there again.  At just before 9 PM, I went back to Mount Rushmore for the Evening Lightening Ceremony.







This South Dakota marathon experience was above and beyond my expectations. I NEVER imagined South Dakota being so fascinating! If you have the opportunity, South Dakota is a must see.